


Lovely Feelings

by RavenBloom



Category: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Genre: F/M, Not Always Canon, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Series, requests open
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-14 22:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14146185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenBloom/pseuds/RavenBloom
Summary: A collection of one-shots for couples from the anime, regardless of canon. Each chapter is a standalone story. Requests are now open.





	1. Successor (Lucia/Kaito)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucia has doubts about her reign as the future Aqua Regina. Kaito is there to make her smile.

_"My successor, Mermaid Princess Lucia of the North Pacific Kingdom, bearer of the Pink Pearl,"_  the voice of Aqua Regina called in her head, the memory of the announcement echoing repeatedly in her mind.  _"My reign draws to an end. Your reign soon begins. Be ready, child."_

Lucia sighed as she stood out on the balcony of her room in Pearl Piari, dressed in her favourite pink pyjamas with soft white heart-shaped designs all over, her honey-brown eyes looking out over the darkened sea wistfully. The wind whistled past her as it blew out across to the sea, gently caressing her face and teasing her dark blonde hair. The light of the diamond-like dots in the velvet night sky twinkled innocently back at her, reflecting their warm white glow in the calm ocean waters. The full moon peeked out from behind a curtain of shimmering clouds, casting its light onto the princess.

The pink mermaid let her shoulders slump slightly as she leaned most of her weight on the railing of the balcony, staring at the stars and humming her favourite melody, letting her voice carry out across the ocean, a calm and soothing sound. The blonde princess arranged herself to let her elbow prop her up as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Her brown eyes fluttered shut as she started to sing to herself.

_The seven-coloured wind gently caresses my face_

_It is blowing, aiming for a far away place_

_And before the dawn, I could a hear a melody_

_A song full of the most nostalgic memories_

"Oi, Lucia!" a familiar voice called to her as she finished the verse, snapping Lucia out from her musings and making her push herself up on her tiptoes, looking down from the balcony.

Kaito was standing below, dressed like he wasn't yet ready to go to bed, even though it was already late at night. The orange-haired surfer grinned up at her, running a hand through his spiky hair. He waved at her, calling out, "You going to come down or do I have to come up?" His tone was light and joking, almost completely casual, not even affected by Lucia's own thoughts.

"Um..." Lucia paused, thinking for a while. Her gaze slowly lifted up to stare at the full moon, pondering whether to go down or to let him come up.

Two strong arms wrapped around her waist minutes after, making her shriek a little, taken by surprise, but Kaito's familiar warmth and scent soon made her relax. Lucia sighed softly, enjoying her beloved Kaito's close proximity to her. Under her breath, she continued humming to the tune of her melody as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"What're you thinking about, Lucia?" Kaito abruptly asked, still not moving from their position. "You've been spacey all day, you know. You alright?" He cocked his head to the side, staring at her through the corner of his eyes as he waited for her answer, patiently pulling her closer as they stood out on the balcony. His orange eyes shone with clear worry, and the surfer pulled back a bit, kissing her temple lovingly.

The dark blonde sighed softly, turning to face him as she reached out to clasp his hands in her own, holding their hands up to her pink shell locket, the pearl within pulsing softly in response. "I don't... it's nothing to worry about,  _nee,_  Kaito?" the princess murmured. "I'm just... worried, you know. Worried about a lot of things." She sighed yet again, letting her eyes flutter shut.

The surfer pressed a kiss to her knuckles, letting his lips linger before he pulled their hands down and gently cupped her face. "Yeah, I know," Kaito said softly. "But you can tell me, okay?" Without waiting for a response, he pulled her closer and kissed her firmly on the lips. After a short while, he pulled away, hands cupping either side of her face as he looked deeply into her soft brown eyes. "You know I love you, Lucia. I'm here for you."

Lucia leant into his arms, leaning her head against his shoulder as her eyes fluttered shut. The girl gave a wistful sigh, savouring the feeling of the closeness. "I know... I love you too, Kaito. I'm just... so worried and stressed about everything right now, especially Her Majesty Aqua Regina... too... It's so hard to believe that she's named me her successor, you know?" The princess bit her lower lip and pulled back, eyes meeting his as she rested a hand on his.

"I'm stressed over all the responsibility," she admitted softly, voice quivering. "What if I fail? What if I'm not suited to rule? What if—"

Kaito pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her almost panicked rambling. "Shh," he murmured. "It's okay. I know you'll be great at it, no matter what." His hands clasped one of her own as he suddenly knelt down before her on one knee, kissing her knuckles yet again. "And I promise, no matter what, my Mermaid Princess-sama, I'll always be here with you. I'll be with you through all of it, be it war or peace."

Lucia started shaking a little, her eyes filling with her tears and growing watery. "H-hey... Kaito..." Her voice cracked a bit as she spoke, sniffing.

The orange-haired teen snapped his head back up, concern in his eyes as he straightened, pulling her into his arms. He murmured soothing words in her ear as she started sobbing in earnest, soaking his red jacket with tears. He pressed a loving kiss to the crown of her head, soothingly stroking her hair. "I promise, Lucia," he whispered in her ear. "I promise that I'll always be here with you. No matter what happens, Lucia, I'll always be with you."


	2. Date (Hanon/Nagisa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa brings Hanon out on a date, and Hanon thinks about her feelings for him.

"I'll be back by eleven!" Hanon yelled inside to Rina and Lucia as she stepped out on the front steps of Pearl Piari, adjusting the bright blue bow in front of her stylish aquamarine dress. She tossed her shoulder-length wavy hair over her shoulder and checked her purse for its contents, finally setting her phone to 'vibrate' to not interrupt the occasion.

"Okay, just be careful!" Lucia shouted back to her as the dark blonde poked her head outside, waving as she gave her friend a bright smile. "Have fun with Nagisa-kun, Hanon!"

Hanon sighed, rolling her brown eyes as she waited for her younger boyfriend to come and meet her near the hotel. She still didn't know what he had planned for the day, but the aquamarine mermaid trusted him enough to know he would go all out for her and that he wouldn't disappoint when it was his turn to plan their date night.

Though... talking about Nagisa...

Hanon wasn't entirely sure at this point that he was the person that she could rely on for the rest of her life. She was a Mermaid Princess, the ruler of an entire kingdom — she'd had to leave at some point, right? There was a way she could return to land, though, if she arranged for a regent that she was fully confident in, she could leave to live the rest of her life on land, with Nagisa, if she so wanted to.

But did she?

"Eh, Hanon-chan!" Nagisa called as the boy ran up to her, dressed in a clean and surprisingly nice suit. The younger boy cleaned up well most of the time, and this was no exception. With his dark navy hair slicked back, the human boy was dashing, giving off a clear, boyish charm with his silly grin on his face. "You're looking great today, Hanon-chan!"

The princess smiled faintly at her boyfriend, clutching her purse tighter. "You're not looking too bad yourself, Nagisa-kun," the mermaid said, maintaining a cheery tone. "Where are we going today?"

Nagisa beamed at her, his features lighting up as he smiled at her. Pressing a slip of paper into her hand, the boy flashed a similar one in front of her. "I got us tickets to Amagi Rihito-san's concert!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Okay, so Lucia-san helped, but after that, we're going out for dinner too!" The boy seemed extremely excited about it, and Hanon didn't blame him. It was the second largest move he had taken for date night yet, and she looked forwards to Rihito's concerts too.

"Come on!" he exclaimed, pulling slightly at her wrist. "Let's get going already! It's just a short walk from the hotel, I promise!"

Hanon smiled at him and nodded. "Okay, Nagisa-kun!"

It was a short walk to the concert hall, only around ten minutes from the hotel. The ten minutes were mostly filled with Nagisa's enthusiastic chatting, trying to make conversation about how her day was. Hanon smiled and answered, cheerfully if not all that enthusiastically. At least, the younger boy didn't pick it up, if his continued beaming and animated chatter was any indication.

 _You know... he reminds me of Lucia sometimes,_  the blue-haired mermaid thought to herself, chuckling in mild amusement at the thought of likening her best friend to her boyfriend.

"Eh, Hanon-chan, what's so funny?" the boy mused aloud to her, cocking his head to a side, blinking curiously as he stared. The human scratched the back of his head, looking rather confused by her sudden giggle.

The aquamarine princess paused in her steps, thinking quickly before she replied with a smile, "Nothing, just remembered something funny I heard this morning." She clasped her hands together in front of her necklace.

"Really? What was it?" Nagisa asked, gently pulling at her wrist to get her to continue walking. As they did, he continued, "So?"

"It's a girl thing, Nagisa-kun," Hanon waved off, shaking her head with a fond smile. "You wouldn't get it."

The boy looked mildly disappointed. "Uh, okay, I guess." His features then brightened as he grinned. "We're almost there! Hurry up, Hanon-chan!" Clasping her hand in his, he pulled her towards the concert hall with an enthusiastic smile.

Hanon's smile was sincere as she let the shorter boy lead her into the hall and towards their seats, glancing around the still fairly-well lit hall.  _Still..._  she mused to herself, smiling,  _you can't say Nagisa doesn't try hard to impress me, can you?_ As the lights in the hall dimmed to start the performance, Hanon leant over to Nagisa, whispering softly, "Hey... Nagisa..."

The boy blinked in surprise at the use of his name without honorifics, turning to her with wide eyes. "Eh... Hanon-chan?"

Hanon smiled at him. "I wanted to say something," she whispered over the gentle melody the orchestra was starting up, the violins ringing out in a clear quartet, accompanied by the brass trumpets and trombones. "Thank you, and... I love you, Nagisa."

"Hanon-chan..." The boy was blushing, visible even in the dim light of the concert hall.

"Hanon," the aquamarine mermaid corrected. "Just Hanon."

Nagisa nodded, a goofy grin crossing his expression as the human boy beamed in appreciation. His eyes lit up like lights, making her heart flutter briefly. "Okay... Hanon."

The princess smiled as she leant back in her seat, enjoying the show. Occasionally, she'd let her gaze wander over to Nagisa, and her smile would widen. Perhaps Nagisa wasn't the best, but no one could ever say he didn't make an effort to be. And for that, Hanon was certain, come hell or high water, he was the one for her.


	3. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rina receives news from home, and Masahiro reveals some secrets he's kept.

Rina stared at the crumpled sheet of parchment she held in her hand, reading the letter again for the fourteenth time since she had received it. Her grey eyes anxiously scanned the letter, muttering the contents over and over to herself as she waited for Masahiro to arrive at their designated meeting point. Fifteen minutes past their agreed meeting time, and he was still nowhere in sight. Sighing heavily, she looked down at the message she had received again.

_Your Highness Princess Rina,_

_The kingdom's reparations have finally been completed, and your presence is vital to the smooth workings of the system. We implore you to return as soon as is possible to prevent a vacuum of power._

_The North Atlantic High Council_

The green princess sighed, folding up the letter again along the familiar creases in it and roughly shoving it into the pocket of her washed-out grey jeans. "Where is he?" the mermaid wondered, sounding appropriately frustrated as she picked at the hem of her white and green T-shirt. Her line of sight scanned the area around the cliff as she searched for Masahiro's motorcycle in the distance, making a sound of vexation.

"Where is he?" the green-haired princess repeated with a scowl to herself, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. Her brow knit together in frustration and worry. What was keeping him? He was late! Rina chewed on her lower lip as she ran a hand through her long hair, starting to pace the area when finally, the sound of Masahiro's motorcycle was heard in the distance.

Her head snapped up and Rina breathed a sigh of relief as the green-haired teen slowed down his motorcycle near her, parking it and getting off.

Masahiro took off his helmet, adjusting his thin wire-framed spectacles, running a hand through his hair and offering the princess a smile. "Sorry for being late, Rina-chan," he said apologetically, walking over to her. "I had a bit of trouble along the way here regarding a conflict in my schedule. They wouldn't let me go until the matter was resolved. Again, sorry." He smiled sheepishly.

The Green Pearl Princess blurted out what she had to say before she could stop and think. "Masahiro, we need to break up." She regretted the words immediately, but it was already too late to take them back.

The young boxer's expression was overcome with shock at the probably unexpected words from her. With no warning in sight, it was clear Rina's statement had thrown him cleanly off guard. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered, "Rina-chan, can you repeat that please?" His words were slow, and his tone betrayed the hurt that the princess had expected to follow, though it didn't seem like he was expressing it outwardly.

"I... We need to break up, Masahiro," Rina finally repeated, hanging her head. "Please, it's not you, I promise," she practically begged, stepping forward to put a hand on his shoulder, trying to convince him. "I just found out that I need to move back home, and... and that I likely won't be coming back to Japan ever again."

The teen averted his eyes and lowered his head. "You're going home... huh, Rina-chan?" Masahiro mumbled to her, and she could feel him slightly shaking under her hand.

Rina nodded mutely, forgetting for a second that he couldn't see her, then said quietly, "I am."

"Back to the North Atlantic?" Masahiro looked up at her, brow furrowed.

The princess nodded before she caught herself, grey eyes widening in shock and surprise. "I... how.. how did you know?" she spluttered, this time being the one caught off guard by the sudden revelation. The mermaid reached for her necklace just in case her human boyfriend had been replaced by a new enemy, but Masahiro's hand reached out to gently clasp around her wrist.

"Rina-chan, wait!" he exclaimed, gently pulling on her wrist in order to keep her where she was. "I can explain, really, so just wait and listen, please!"

The green-haired mermaid finally nodded warily. "Okay, so... how?" she asked in disbelief.

Masahiro drew out a shell locket necklace and pressed it into the palm of her hands, closing her fingers around the locket. "This is an old heirloom," he explained with a soft voice. "Passed down for years in my family. You know what it means, Princess."

Rina's brow knit together in confusion as she glanced down, seeing a pale green shell locket in her hand — a locket that had obviously belonged to a mermaid a long, long time ago, judging by the wear. "You... you're a..." she whispered, grey eyes widening.

The human nodded. "That's right. My ancestor was a mermaid that had fallen in love with a human. She didn't return to the kingdom, and passed down the story in the family," he explained. "Princess Rina of the North Atlantic Kingdom... you're going to go home, aren't you?"

The princess sighed. "Yes. I'm going home and... and I don't know when, or even if, I'm coming back or not." Rina made a move to pass the worn locket back to Masahiro, but he pressed it back into her hand firmly.

"Don't," the bespectacled teen said. "Rina-chan, keep this. Remember me when you go back, and promise me that you'll come back. If you can't, I'll find a way to come to you, I promise."

"Masahiro..." Rina whispered softly. "I... I promise, Masahiro. I'll come back when I can. I will!"

Masahiro smiled, leaning in and brushing her hair away from her face, cupping her face and then kissing her lovingly. "Thank you, Rina-chan."

Rina smiled softly as she returned the affectionate kiss. "No. Thank you, Masahiro."


	4. Star-Crossed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hippo and Yuri have a final meeting under the stars.

Hippo slowed to a stop on the path that led to his destination, huffing and panting with exertion. Just a little bit more, he told himself. Just hold on, he'd be there in a little while. He'd see her again. At the last thought, the blonde, green-eyed guardian's heart fluttered, and the boy started running again towards the bridge that led towards his beloved.

_Yuri, I'm coming!_

The boy reached the end of his path and finally slowed down, gasping for much-needed air as he stared across the ravine that separated him from the other side. Looking up into the sky, the hippocampus clasped his hands together and prayed, calling for his old ward and the new goddess to lend her power to his cause.

Lucia must have heard him, as the stars above the sacred meeting place started gleaming. The waters that filled the gap between the two cliffs surged upwards, glowing a faint white as it twisted and solidified into an intricate design of interweaving flowers and gems, connecting the two sides with a delicate bridge forged under the light of the stars.

_Hurry, Hippo. You only have so much time before she has to return._

The boy chewed nervously on his lower lip as he took a step closer to the construct, anxiously testing its strength under his shoe. It held itself, and he sprinted up onto the bridge, scrambling to get to the centre point. "Yuri!" he called out as he pulled himself to the centre of the bridge, eagerness and anticipation clear in his voice. "Yuri!"

"Hippo!" called the demon girl, a bright spark of hope entering her green eyes as she ran towards him from the other end of the bridge. Her form, an almost misty figure, solidified as her non-existent feet touched the glowing and sparkling bridge, and Yuri beamed at him as she ran up, almost stumbling over her elegant Victorian dress as she ran to him.

Her speed slowed down a bit as she reached him, her bright smile making the guardian's heart flutter in happiness and joy. The demon reached out to him as she gently walked over, clasping both his hands in hers as she beamed up at him. "I'm so happy," she whispered to him, eyes glimmering with unshed tears of happiness. "I'm so happy that I can see you again."

Hippo smiled gently at her, gently squeezing her hands as he reached out to the corner of her eyes, wiping away the tears gently. "Hey, don't cry," he said, sounding faintly panicked. He didn't want to see her crying, even if it was tears of happiness — they only had that much time that Lucia was allowed to impart to them before she was forced to make Yuri return.

None of that time that they could spend together would be wasted on tears and sentiments.

Yuri sniffed, clasping onto one hand tight. "I won't," she promised softly, suddenly wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a loving embrace. "I missed you so much," she said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder as she hugged him close to her. "I'm glad... so glad I can see you again..."

The blonde boy returned the hug with a smile, green eyes gently fluttering shut in contentment. "I'm happy too," he whispered to her, "so happy that I can be with you."

Could time stop? If it could, Hippo would have wanted it to freeze permanently in place. He would never have to lose her again, right? He was allowed to be selfish this once, wasn't he? But he knew better than to go against the laws set by the ancient deities. They would have to part at some point, wouldn't they? for such was the way of the world.

Hippo hugged her tight, feeling his eyes start to grow prickly with tears, but the guardian wisely kept them silent. He didn't want her worrying about him, not today, not on the chance that it might be the last time they ever saw each other again.

It felt like both an eternity and an instant later when Yuri slowly pulled back. "Hey... why are you crying?" she whispered, clearly rather surprised when she saw his face. Gingerly, she reached out and rested her hand against the side of his face. "Don't cry, please," she whispered, then rested both hands against his face, eyes slowly growing teary. "Don't be sad."

"I'm not..." Hippo lied, shaking his head. "I... I'm... please, don't leave!" he suddenly burst out, gripping her hands tightly and pulling her back into a tight hug. "Please, don't leave!"

"I won't," Yuri said softly, but she had spoken too soon. Her form suddenly flickered in solidness, and the bridge under them started to recede, forcing the two star-crossed lovers apart.

Lucia's voice, heavy with remorse, filled the hippocampus' mind.  _I'm sorry. She has to go. Her time is up. You have to leave. I'm sorry._

The blonde boy reached out, barely managing to clasp her hand in his as the bridge between them faded away. "Yuri!" he yelled. "Don't worry, I'll find you, I promise! I don't care what stands in my way, nothing can make me stop looking for you! One day, I'll find you again, and we can be together!"

"I trust you, Hippo!" Yuri shouted out, her vapour-like form clasping his hand with desperation. "I'll search for you! I'll never stop until I find you again! I won't give up until we're together!"

Their hands were forced to part, and Hippo stood, reaching out to her as she vanished on the other side, and as the sun rose at the crack of dawn, he rubbed at his teary eyes. "Yuri," he whispered. "I'll be here. I'll find you; someday, I promise."


	5. Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki poses Nikora a difficult question to answer.

"Nikora-san, can I talk to you?"

The purple-haired mermaid turned away from her checklist to look at the man that stood behind her, her face colouring a bit at their close proximity. "Ah... Maki-san," she said, her brown eyes widening a bit. She hadn't expected to see the human man here. Self-consciously tucking a strand of purple hair behind her ear, the young woman offered the man a polite and nervous smile. "Did... did you need something?"

The beach-house owner just gave her a slight smile that seemed almost nervous. "Can you walk with me, Nikora-san? Just out to the beach? there's something important I'd like to talk to you about." There was a strange sort of tone in his voice that the woman didn't recognize, though she felt her heart flutter a bit.

"Uh... okay, Maki-san," Nikora said, trying her best to cover up her nervousness as well as her heated face. "Give me a second..." She quickly pulled away and walked into the living room, calling for Lucia. As the princess looked at her with a smile, she quickly told her to watch the hotel, face covered with a blush.

Lucia seemed to know what was going on, and the pink princess giggled enthusiastically. "Alright, Nikora-onee-chan," she said with a smile. And then, with a look that was entirely too mature for her, the princess said in a serious tone of voice, "Nikora-onee-chan, no matter what your decision is, I'll always be supporting you, okay? Listen to your heart. It always knows best." With that said, the blonde then returned to her homework, not saying another word.

The princess knew something that the woman didn't, Nikora was certain. She just didn't know  _what_  it was.

Still eyeing the blonde suspiciously, the woman walked out with Maki, starting up a casual conversation with the human man, finding herself slowly relaxing as they walked out from Pearl Piari to the sandy white beach that lay in front of the building. The setting sun reflected rays of warm orange light off the calm sea waters, dyeing the waters, the evening sky, and the lacy white clouds a warm, welcoming orange hue that melted into golden yellow and red at the edges. Clearing her throat as she reached the very edges of the water, just enough that the warm sea water didn't lap at her heels, Nikora changed the topic, nervously looking out across the horizon.

"You said you wanted to talk to me about something, Maki-san?"

When she didn't get a reply from the human, Nikora anxiously turned back, worried she had said something wrong. Much to her surprise, the brunette man was down on one knee, kneeling on the warm sands of the beach with a small smile on his face. "M-Maki-san," the mermaid stammered, feeling her face heat up.

Maki clasped one of her hands in his own, saying, "Nikora-san, you are an amazing woman. Beautiful, charming, intelligent, everything about you is perfect. To have known you is the greatest joy in my life. Nikora-san..." He reached behind him and produced a small box, one that the mermaid recognized as containing a ring inside, and opened it to reveal a shining golden ring. "Please, marry me."

"Maki-san..."

Nikaro didn't know what to do at the moment, her face colouring into a bright shade of red. She could accept, surely, but if she did that, then she would have to stay in the human world, didn't she? And her life in the ocean, none of it would matter, of course. She could remain in the human world, living out her life in peace and joy. She could decline, of course, but if she did that, then she would return to the kingdom with her princess and ruler, ultimately never to return to the human world and leave with regrets.

To stay, she would leave her home and her life. To leave, she would leave her heart and her love. Which to choose?

Nikora desperately wanted someone to make the choice for her.

_Nikora-onee-chan, no matter what your decision is, I'll always be supporting you, okay?_

Her princess' words rang in her ear, and Nikora understood their meaning now. No matter what her decision was, Lucia would always be in support, even if she chose to leave, even if she chose to stay. So, what was her decision? It still wasn't an easy one. Her mind told her to go home; she had been gone for so long, surely, she felt homesick, right? Her heart told her to stay; her home she could visit, but Maki couldn't be visited like her home.

_Listen to your heart. It always knows best._

Listen to her heart. Of course. It seemed her princess knew what was best for her as well. Listen to her heart, accept Maki's proposal, cherish what she loved. Her home could be visited when she had to, but Maki was one of a kind. With a smile, the mermaid made her decision, and she knew that she wouldn't regret it.

"Yes, Maki-san!" Nikora said with an incredibly bright smile, her heart racing with joy as the man slipped the modest ring onto her ring finger. With strength the purple-haired mermaid didn't know she had, she pulled the man to his feet and kissed him.

* * *

Two months later, Nikora was clad in a white mermaid-style dress, walking along the beach before the wedding took place. Her hair pulled back into an ornate bun, simple jewellery adorning her neck and ears. The call of a dolphin distracted her, and the woman turned to see Momo, her princess' faithful dolphin, reach out with an envelope.

The woman took it and opened the letter enclosed within.

_Congratulations on your happy ending, signed your younger sister, Lucia._


	6. Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen has thoughts about the man she met while trying to investigate the warming of the South Pole. Subaru thinks about the girl he met while researching the South Pole's spike in heat.

Karen was the Princess of the Antarctic Ocean. She had better things to do than pine over a love lost, right? Wrong.

The purple princess had just finished another stack of paperwork and had pushed all politics aside for a while, to muse over someone she had once met. Yes, despite it being so long ago, she still remembered it like it was yesterday. Back when she was just eighteen, when the problem with the Ancient Mikeru was still taking precedence over her duties as a princess, she had once met  _him_.

The memory was vivid — the handsome blonde researcher that greeted her with a charming smile when she arrived to examine the scene of the melting Antarctic herself. Her heart fluttered strangely, making her faintly wonder if she was alright. Her face seemed to burn, and she barely even noticed until the charming man — who she soon learnt to be named Subaru — asked her if she was sick. Face red with embarrassment and with that strange feeling, she denied, flustered.

Her heart once again soared as he spoke to her. Her voice was soft, face still red as she told him her name in what was barely an embarrassing squeak. Once more, she felt that strange warmth erupt in her as he gave her a charming smile and complimented her name's beauty. Her heart fluttering confused her briefly until she finally pinned down a diagnose two hours later.

Infatuation. Oh yes, Karen was in love.

She spent time with him over the next few days, Subaru busy with his own research while Karen took every chance, no matter how reluctant, to take to the ocean and search for the source of the sudden melting. Unfortunately, each time she tried, it came up blank. Nothing, absolutely nothing was working. She just couldn't find it. But she knew who could, and the princess called for help.

Karen spent the next few days waiting for their response, keeping herself occupied with helping Subaru with his research. The man told her a lot about what was going on, though much she already knew. And just like her, the researcher was puzzled as to why the temperature had suddenly spiked in the Antarctic. The day before the other three princesses arrived, Karen excused herself to go and examine the largest iceberg in the Antarctic.

"It's melting," she had said to herself with a heavy sigh.

"Does it have a special significance, Karen?" Subaru then proceeded to ask as he came up from behind, starling the princess.

"S-Subaru!" the purple princess had exclaimed, taken by surprise. Slowly, Karen nodded. "It does. This one is known as the 'Guardian of the Antarctic'," she explained absently. "It watches over the entire pole, looming like a protective guardian. That's why it's called that."

The man had nodded, features betraying deep thought. "Fascinating," he noted, taking a step closer to it. "Thank you, Karen."

Her face burned, and the princess then smiled shyly. "Subaru..."

The tender moment had been interrupted as the iceberg cracked and broke, sending tremors through the ground and throwing both off balance. "Ah!" The mermaid took a step back, her boot slipping on the smooth ice, sending her reeling back, almost falling onto the ground. Before she did, she was caught and steadied.

Subaru had guided her back onto her feet, and after a short pause, he tucked a strand of dark purple hair behind her ear.

Karen's red face had kept its colour and she gave him a shy smile, feeling the familiar fluttering of her heart whenever he was close.  _Subaru..._

The Antarctic Princess wished, now that they were apart, that the Fates would allow her a chance to see him again.

* * *

Subaru Carraford was the lead researcher of his student team in Britain. He had more important things to do than thinking of a lovely girl he had been smitten with, yes? Wrong.

The blonde man had just finished typing up the last few paragraphs to conclude his report on the climate change epidemic and was checking it over before he sent it to his superiors when a line in the last sentence struck something within him. A conclusion on the melting poles, making the memory resurface in his mind like it had only been yesterday. Back when he was researching the strange melting in the South Pole, he had met  _her._

It was oddly fresh in his mind, the particular memory — the beautiful girl who he greeted upon her arrival. Initially, he had assumed she was a newcomer to the team, but later he learnt that the girl, along with her three rather... eccentric friends, were from another research department. When he had first spoken with her, he knew he was smitten. Her voice had a lovely cadence as she spoke to him, and he could barely get himself together to reply.

Then her face had gotten red, and he instantly found himself starting to worry. The purple-haired girl — Karen, he remembered her name as — quickly denied and told him she was simply unused to the cold yet. His heart fluttered, and concerned, he quickly steered her inside the temporary quarters for the duration of the research being done.

Oh yes, Subaru was thoroughly smitten.

He remembered a couple other occasions with her. Clear as day, he remembered the familiarity in her voice that sometimes made him doubt if she was truly a newcomer to the Antarctic. He remembered her talking about the Guardian of the Antarctic, and the wonder he had at her deep knowledge of the area. He had always liked intelligent girls, and that only solidified his crush on her.

Subaru spent his time researching, collecting samples, making notes, writing reports. Karen was always there to help, offering to go and measure the temperature, draw up the data he had collected, copy some notes she herself had made. And she was always asking questions, eager to learn and share what they knew with each other. Just like him, though, she was clueless about what the real reason behind the temperature spike was.

He remembered their last interaction best, their last conversation from before he left. He had finished packing, and before he left, he spoke to her.

"Karen," he had called to her as he headed towards the ship that would take him back to Britain.

"Ah, Subaru!" she had exclaimed. Karen looked at him. "You're leaving so soon?"

The blonde had nodded. "I'm afraid so. My team needs me for another research expedition." He chuckled sheepishly. "Hey, if you wouldn't mind... how about you leave me your number and email?"

"My..." Karen then looked flustered, for some reason, and she shook her head. "Sorry, I, um, lost my phone the week before I arrived and I forgot my email password."

Subaru's hopes of contacting her again had been dashed, and the man nodded, a bit disappointed. "I see..." A call from the ship in heavily accented Scottish English made him turn to affirm the call, and he turned once more to Karen. "Sorry, Karen. I have to go. I hope we'll meet again in the future."

Her face had coloured, and she nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Another shout by his friend and he had finally turned away. "I'll see you, Karen!"

The researcher wished, now that they were apart, that fate would give him a chance to see her again.


	7. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tarou misses Sara very much, but in the end, he still has to move on.

Tarou missed her. It wasn't a question, it was a fact. The pianist missed his beloved mermaid. It had been so long since he had last seen her, so long since he had last heard her lovely voice. He dreamed of her in his sleep, heard her voice as he played the piano, thought he saw her as he walked through the streets. It was strange, an obsession as the days passed, he realized.

The pianist shook his thoughts of his deceased out of his mind as he walked by a quaint little seaside cafe. The salty sea breeze blew past him, and he kept a hold on his sheet music — a ballad dedicated to his memory of Sara — determined not to lose it. He continued walking on until the sound of a wind-chime reached his ears from the door of the cafe, and he paused to look at the delicate seashell carvings in the gleaming steel.

"Lovely wind-chime, isn't it sir?" a soft, low voice asked.

The contralto startled the man a bit, and Tarou turned to see a woman standing behind him. He nodded, glancing back at the design briefly before looking back at the woman behind him.

She had long dark hair the colour of chocolate, pulled into a French braid and thrown over her shoulder. Her eyes were a warm brown too, a few shades darker than her hair, give or take. Olive skin was accentuated with an orange and light golden sundress, and her delicate-looking features were pulled into a warm smile. She suddenly seemed to realize the awkwardness of the situation, and quickly added on in a melodious tone, "Sorry, I'm Jennifer, the owner of the cafe."

The man offered the woman a polite and friendly smile, already noting the soft English in the German town. "Tarou Mistuki, miss," he said with a nod of the head, speaking in English as well as he would have hazarded a guess that she wasn't fluent in German. "Nice to meet you." He couldn't help but notice the shape of her eyes and her warm smile, both of which resembled Sara's to a painful degree.

Tarou's heart wrenched.  _Sara..._

_No,_  he told himself firmly. He had to stop thinking about her — it wasn't doing anything for him, and it wouldn't ever if he kept on thinking about her day in and day out. He needed to forget her, for his sake, and hers.

"—ir? Sir, are you alright?"Jennifer was saying, her voice filled with concern.

Tarou blinked, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. "Ah, um, yes," he said, "I'm fine, thank you." Had she been talking? Clearly, the answer was yes, and he had been spaced out for long enough, thinking about Sara, that she had caught onto it, even wondering if he was alright. The pianist silently cursed himself out, though this time, he paid attention in case she started talking again.

The conversation flew by in a whirlwind. Tarou wasn't really aware of the words that he had spoken to Jennifer, most of his thoughts surrounding the familiar memory of Sara, awakened by the sighed of a shell carved onto a wind-chime. When he was finally aware of what he was saying, it was at most fifteen minutes later, and Jennifer was telling him something about music.

"This is amazing," the woman said, holding a sheet of paper that he recognized as his sheet music. She checked her watch, then hurriedly handed it back. "Oh, but I have to close up shop now. I'll see you again, Tarou?" Jennifer offered him a charming smile, reminding him of Sara again, and she waved at him as she walked into the cafe.

"Sara..." Tarou murmured softly, returning her wave when he was sure she didn't hear him.

* * *

That night, Tarou was woken up by a song. The pianist lived close to the seaside — quite frankly, he had moved into the house there  _because_  it was located by the sea — and nights there were normally rather quiet, seeing as no ships or cars usually passed unless in the day. What was the song? Where did it come from? And why did it sound so familiar?

Still in the plain T-shirt and shorts he had pulled on when he had gone to bed, the man headed out towards the back entrance of his house, the one that led straight to the ocean barely a meter away. With a tired yawn, the man opened the sliding door and walked outside, barefoot, and ignoring the cool wind that blew past him, out towards the ocean. He looked out across the area, and his eyes sought out the odd source of light that suddenly illuminated the area in a soft orange glow.

What he saw made his eyes widen in shock. "Sara..." Tarou breathed softly, seeing the ethereal orange form of his beloved on the surface of the calm sea water.

She smiled softly at him, and the glowing spirit — for what else could she be at this point? — moved towards him. A hand reached out toward the man, and when Sara drew close, her hand rose to gently brush across his cheek. "Tarou," she called softly, smiling. "I've missed you so much." Her warm orange eyes were brighter, maybe because of the orange glow around her.

His arms slowly wrapped around her strangely solid form, and the man breathed, "I've missed you too. I've missed you so, so much, Sara."

"You shouldn't." Sara sounded regretful, and the woman slowly drew back, both hands cupping his face. "I'm sorry, Tarou, if you've waited for me. We could have lived a life together," she said softly, "but I didn't want him to go alone." Her thumb gently swept across his skin, like she was trying to remember the feeling. The mermaid exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "You should move on. Please, for my sake."

Tarou's hands reached up to grasp her wrists, and the brunette shook his head slowly. "I've been waiting, Sara," he whispered. "Five years. How can I move on? I waited for seven years until I saw you again — if I wait, I'll see you again." He was in denial, he knew.

Sara laughed sadly. "You know that can't happen, Tarou," she said gently. "Please, move on. For me," she added in the end. Leaning in, the ethereal woman pressed a faint, lingering kiss on his brow. "I'm sorry." Her hands reached down to grip his tightly, and she smiled softly at him. "I'm sorry, Tarou," she repeated softly. "Please forgive me."

She was fading away, the man faintly realized as the woman gave his hands a soft squeeze. He fumbled to get words out and barely managed, "Sara, wait..." before the mermaid smiled and pulled back, squeezing his hands one last time before she vanished. Her words once more echoed in his head.

_"Please, for my sake."_

* * *

The next day, Tarou was passing by Jennifer's cafe again on his way home.

A quick glance inside showed the woman behind the counter, absently looking at her phone, and after a pause, he glanced out to the sea. "For you, Sara," he promised himself. He entered the cafe, calling out to the woman behind the counter with a friendly smile.

No, he wouldn't forget Sara, but he would give moving on a try.


	8. Bonus Drabbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are all posted together as one chapter because they're not long enough for an individual chapter.

**Couple: Hanon/Tarou**

Hanon fidgeted in place as she waited at the concert hall. She had just one chance to see him again, and by the goddess, she wouldn't mess it up. His performance was over, and people were already leaving the hall, leaving her as the odd one out, stubbornly standing by the entrance to the hall while she looked for him.  _Damn, where is he?_  she thought, almost frantic at the thought that the man might already have left.

_There!_

Mistuki Tarou had just exited a room down the hall and was walking in the opposite direction.

Hanon ran after him, trying to reach him in time. "Tarou-chan!" the aquamarine mermaid called when she was within earshot of the pianist. "Tarou-chan!" She waved a hand, hoping he heard her and would turn around.

"That name... Hosho-kun?" the pianist inquired to himself, turning around to see the Mermaid Princess running over. "Oh, so it is you! It's been some time, Hosho-kun." The brunette man smiled kindly down at her, and to her surprise, Hanon felt... nothing. Nothing at all. "How have you been?"

The Aquamarine Pearl Princess brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear, looking up at her former teacher, and mustered the strength for a small smile. "I've been well, sensei. You seem to be doing great, though... I was listening to your music earlier, and you're just as skilled as you were when I last saw you." She beamed sincerely at him. "You've composed a lot of new music."

Tarou... no, Mitsuki smiled at her, nodding. "Ah, indeed. My wife's given me a lot of new muse lately," he said with a laugh. "In fact, I have a new composition on the way..."

As the man talked, Hanon just nodded and smiled. This time, she knew, she no longer held unrequited love.

* * *

**Couple: Mikaru/Kaito**

Mikaru knew that she loved him without a doubt. The girl would give everything for her Kaito, as long as he paid attention to her.

The brunette watched from her window as her beloved surfed on the waves, a dreamy smile on her face as she looked at his vibrant hair ruffled by the winds of the ocean. Her brown eyes followed his every movement as the surfer dominated the wide blue sea, residing amongst the rising waves like it was his home, like it took no effort at all to surf across the rough and choppy waves that many others would have trouble staying upright with. Or perhaps she was just being biased.

Did it matter, though? Kaito was the best at surfing — absolutely no one could match his sheer talent and skill for subduing the wild waves of the sea along the east coast. He was the champion of all of Japan... and she was pretty sure he was better than most professionals around the world too.

Mikaru didn't know how long she was watching him surf, but her Kaito finally stopped his surfing and alighted onto the golden sand of the beach. The sickly brunette smiled, trying to stand so she could dash down there to congratulate him for his spectacular performance on the waves, only to pause when she saw the dark blonde girl that raced up to him, bright red ribbons in her hair all too obvious even from her window...

Her heart wrenched, recognizing the girl instantly, and it felt like her heart shattered when she saw her Kaito —  _her_ Kaito — smile at the girl, arms sliding around her as she hugged him tightly. But he was hers, not Lucia's! Kaito belonged to her, and her alone! Kaito... Kaito was the only person that had ever shown her that she really was cared for outside of her brother, the only person that would sit with her and talk to her and tell her stories and... and now...

And now Lucia was going to take him away from her. Lucia was going to take away all her happiness, all her joy with Kaito, and she'd never get him back. But Kaito had never loved Mikaru... had he?

As tears fell onto the windowsill, Mikaru really had to wonder, was Lucia the one who had stolen her Kaito, or had she stolen Lucia's boyfriend?

* * *

**Couple: Lucia/Rihito**

Lucia ran for the beach, sobbing to her heart's content. She didn't want to believe what she had seen, but she knew, oh she knew it was true, the nasty truth that rang loudly in her head. It made her want to throw up. She didn't want to believe what she had seen with her own two eyes, but now, she couldn't deny it. She couldn't deny anything now.

_She couldn't deny that she had found Kaito cheating on her with Hanon._

Tripping and falling over onto the sand of the beach, the girl didn't bother to get up, wailing as loudly as she dared, tears streaming down her face. Violent sobs wracked her frame and she cried out, trying to release the suffocating pain that was building up in her heart. It was like she couldn't breathe anymore, not through all the pain in her chest that was too much to bear.

The Pink Pearl Princess wailed again, her sobbing eventually fading into silent cries with her tears still flowing freely. The pain eased somewhat, but it never left, still weighing on her so heavily that it was no easier to breathe than it was before.

"Lucia-chan?" Rihito's voice whispered in her ear, and soon, two strong arms wrapped around her from behind, gently pulling her upright. "Shh," he murmured, obviously realizing that something was wrong with her. He pulled her into his embrace, gently resting a hand on her back and another on her head as he slowly and soothingly stroked her dark blonde hair. "Don't worry... just cry," he murmured. "It'll be alright, I promise."

_It'll be alright, I promise._

Lucia shivered, still trembling as she pulled herself slightly away to look into his warm grey eyes, trying to find a hint that he could turn back the clock, to make sure it never happened in the first place, but what she found both devastated her... and yet, gave her an odd feeling of comfort. "It'll... be... alright?" she repeated softly in a whisper, choking back a sob as she stared at him with wide and teary brown eyes.

The young man gently swiped his thumb over her cheek, wiping away a falling tear from her face. "It'll be alright," he confirmed gently, pulling her back into his embrace, letting her break down again. "I'll be there for you, Lucia. Every single step of the way."

And Lucia broke down again, but this time, the pain and emptiness in her heart were soothed by his very presence.

* * *

**Couple: Lucia/Gaito**

Gaito reached out and gently gripped her face, looking intently at her as she stared back up at him with those mesmerizing brown eyes. Beautiful. She was beautiful. He stroked the side of her face with his free hand, trapping her against the wall with his own body, and at that moment, he felt almost satisfied. "Princess," he murmured into her ear, stroking her cheek with a finger.

"Gaito," she murmured back to him, looking taken by surprise, with not a little fear in her eyes. After all, he was sure she would be startled by how he had found her in the human world, even with her human guise. "Wha-what do you want?" she asked — no,  _demanded_ , with only the polite tone of her voice being misleading. Her honey brown irises looked up at him, narrowing slightly.

He smirked, leaning slightly closer. "You, of course," he said dismissively. "Everything about you." He traced the curve of her cheekbone with his thumb, marvelling at her soft skin. With his proximity, he could catch a hint of her sweet, tantalizing scent, and it was utterly intoxicating. "Are you scared of me, Princess?" he whispered, almost taunting.

Lucia huffed, looking away. "Of you? Don't be ridiculous," she lied, though her hands reached up to clasp her precious shell necklace, where her precious pearl was kept. She clasped it protectively, obviously thinking that he would try to take the precious little thing for his own nefarious purposes when that couldn't have been more wrong in their current situation. "You're not getting my pearl," she said firmly, confirming that he was indeed correct in his assumptions.

"Oh, but what makes you think I want your pearl?" he whispered in her ear, smirking in amusement at her surprised expression and how she looked back at him instantly, clearly surprised. He chuckled, voice husky as he continued. "After all, I clearly said I wanted you...  _everything_ of you." He stepped in even closer now, lowering his head slightly so that their faces were only a little apart. "Your pearl is nothing compared to you."

Her face flushed red. "I appreciate the praise," she whispered in a soft voice, looking up at him in surprise and not a little shock. "But you're not making sense."

"Aren't I, now?" He cupped her face in his hands, looking intently into her brown eyes. "Beautiful," he murmured to her. "You are beautiful."

"I'm..."

He didn't wait for her to finish her sentence and leaned in, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to his, and he was absolutely delighted to feel her responding to the kiss.

* * *

**Couple: Lucia/Mikeru**

"Join me, Lucia," Mikeru implored once more, looking down imperiously at the blonde mermaid. "Join me, come with me." The winged man extended a slender hand out to her, a cocky, self-assured smile on his aristocratic features.

The Pink Pearl Princess frowned at him. "And if I refuse?" she demanded, clasping her shell locket in her hands, ready to transform at a moment's notice to sign and drive him off to the best of her ability. "For all I know," she accused, "you could be trying to destroy this world, and I won't allow that to happen!" Lucia's blue eyes narrowed and a firm frown crossed her expression, making it blatantly clear that she was not going to give in to his request through both her tense body language as well as her facial expressions.

He sighed, sounding... disappointed, for some reason. "Such a pity," he murmured, voice soft and alluring. He lowered himself down towards the surface of the ocean slightly more, and it brought him down closer until the lower feathers of his wings were even brushing the sea water. His hand reached out towards her again, and his long, delicate fingers gently brushed over the curve of her cheek. "You would have been so perfect for the purpose I had in mind..." He trailed off, but his feather-light caress didn't lift at all.

Lucia attempted to move back, but the caress was oddly entrancing. Spellbound, she looked up at him, unable — or perhaps, unwilling — to move away from the comforting touch. "And what was that?" she found herself whispering, feeling like she wanted to listen, that what she would hear would be important to know, that she would be appeased by the answer. "What was I perfect for?" Her heart seemed to start racing in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat when he gently cupped her face in his hands.

"Perfect... perfect to be loved, loved unconditionally, to be worshipped like a perfect goddess, to be given every single thing your heart so desires," Mikeru whispered in her ear, warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. "I could give you this world if you so choose to want it. I could give you the heart of that boy you so adore, to give you the affection you want from him even if he doesn't want you." He leaned in closer. "I could love you..."

The princess' eyes widened. "You... could..." She closed her eyes, inhaling shakily. "Then... please... love me..."

He smiled, leaning forward and kissing her firmly on the lips. "I will, my lovely... I will."


	9. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto meets his special mermaid.

Makoto had a formed a habit of walking along the beach at night, despite what his parents said, ever since he had returned from visiting his cousin. The young boy had an odd love for the sea that none of his friends, nor his parents, could properly explain, and it had existed since a long, long time ago, to be precise, ever since he could read. The boy had a secret of his own that he wouldn't dare tell anyone, because he knew that they would laugh at him.

One night, the small brunette crept onto the golden beach near his home, his sketchbook in his arms as he glanced out at the calm sea, illuminated by the moonlight. A pencil was tucked securely behind his ear as the boy walked on the golden sand, kicking off his sandals to feel the remaining heat from the sun's rays in the cooling sand. The tide was low, enough to tickle his toes if he walked close enough, but nowhere near high enough to be a danger. The full moon cast down milky silver rays, making the surface of the sea glow in an ethereal manner, glinting and glistening with small waves carried into shore by the wind far out to the ocean.

_The seven-coloured wind gently caresses my face_

_It is blowing, aiming for a far away place_

_And before the dawn, I could a hear a melody_

_A song full of the most nostalgic memories_

"Huh?" The boy looked around curiously, finding the song familiar but yet unable to put a solid finger on it. "Where have I heard that before?" Looking back behind him to make sure that his sandals were in a place that wouldn't get close to the tide, even if it suddenly came back in, the boy started walking farther away, eventually breaking into a sprint to find the source of the song.  _It sounds so nice... What a pretty song!_

_In the east sky, those birds that fly? Can you see where they are going?_

_Well, they're flying off to a place, far away, their paradise_

The girl's gentle voice grew louder as the brunette boy ran towards her, eventually reaching the end of the stretch of golden beach. But surely that couldn't be? The only thing beyond that now was rock and sea, and no one in their right mind would be outside and in the middle of the sea in the dead of the night unless... unless it was...

"A mermaid?" he whispered to himself, excitement filling his small form as the boy rolled up the lower hems of his shorts, wading carefully into the close by the sea. "Uh... hello?" he called out, waving an arm while keeping a grip on his sketchbook. "Is... someone there?" He didn't receive a response at first, but the boy continued talking. "You're a really good singer — what's that song you're singing?"

The girl stopped singing when he started speaking, and Makoto was left a little alone at that moment. The boy looked around, frowning, as he squinted, trying to see if he could see her in the night's darkness. "Hello?" he called out again. "Can you understand me?" Lucia had, of course, but he had no guarantee that every mermaid spoke perfect Japanese.

A flash of orange could be seen under the moonlight, along with the splashing of water, and the girl's voice could be heard from a little distance away. "Hi," she chirped brightly. "You... liked my singing?" She sounded bashful.

Makoto nodded. "Yeah! You have a really nice voice." He smiled, though he didn't know where she was. He glanced around again, making the girl giggle.

"I'm right here!" she said, and this time, the boy followed her voice to see the young orange mermaid perching on a seaweed-covered rock, her wide orange eyes sparkling with amusement. The mermaid covered her mouth as she giggled again, blowing a strand of orange hair out of her eyes. She beamed at him. "Hi! I'm Seira," she said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

The boy was a little taken aback by her friendly attitude since he knew that mermaids who told their true identity to humans would turn to sea foam. Nevertheless, the boy shook off his surprise and smiled at her. "It's Makoto. It's nice to meet you, Seira-chan. What are you doing here? It's really late right now. Aren't your friends and family worried?"

Seira looked sheepish, clasping her hands together. "I told my friends that I would be going out for a midnight swim," she explained, "and I ended up getting distracted by the moon! It's really pretty, you know!" The girl smiled, and she turned around a little to glance up at the brilliant moon. "Hey, Makoto, do you like the moon?"

The brunette paused, then nodded to her before realizing that no, she couldn't see him. Scratching his head, he said, "Yeah, I do." The boy carefully adjusted his sketchbook, which was beginning to slip. "I like it, a lot. It's not as bright as the sun, but it's a lot brighter than the stars. I've always believed that the moon and the sea are linked." The boy paused, blushing a little when he realized he was going to start rambling.

The mermaid, Seira tilted her head to the side. "Well... you're not exactly wrong, I guess?" Her questioning voice trailed off as she swished her orange tail in the shallow waters. "I believe the Japanese equate the moon and the seas with two separate gods, who are siblings. I guess you could say they are linked."

Makoto was about to say something else, but the large clock tower in the town, located near the shore finally struck eleven, making him realize that he needed to get home.

"Oh, it's eleven already?" Seira exclaimed. The mermaid turned around, beaming at the boy. "It's been nice to talk to you, Makoto! I have to go now, so maybe I'll see you again, okay?" With her smile lighting up her features, the girl dived into the waters and swam off.

As the boy made his way back to the beach, he was smiling so widely his face was starting to hurt.  _I'm sure we'll meet again, Seira-chan!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skipped the Gaito/Maria request here as it was more suggestive of explicit material than I want to post here.


	10. Unrequited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hippo has thoughts about the new Orange Pearl Princess.

He couldn't help but think that she was an incredible and amazing girl.

The guardian hippocampus stood in his human form, alone on the beach by the side of which the hotel was built, staring out at the setting sun over the horizon, dying light radiating a rich orange and golden glow over the rippling sea water and the sandy beaches. Hippo looked down at his feet, shuffling slightly in place as the cool sea breeze blew in, ruffling his blonde hair. His green eyes lifted to stare at the orange-hued sky... orange, just like her hair and eyes. Just about everything reminded him of her nowadays, the hippocampus was vaguely aware, but then again, he saw her every day.

It was hard to describe such a feeling, really, but it wasn't as if he had never felt it before. He knew that feeling in his stomach — those fluttering butterflies every time he saw her, the nervousness that built up in him whenever he had to speak with her, and the spacing out he would always do when around her. It was embarrassing, but he knew it well, and he knew what it meant. Love. It had been the same feeling that he got whenever he had seen Yuri and whenever he had been with the water demon. He had thought that since her death, he would never feel like that with anyone else, but he was wrong.

His face immediately coloured as he thought of her bright smile, the lighthearted giggle that she made whenever she saw something funny. He always loved to see that smile — it meant that she wasn't troubled and that she was happy, and in turn, that made him happy as well. It was maybe a little ridiculous, a sudden crush inspired by her lovable smile, but it was true. He could close his eyes right now and remember her smile as she was passed an ice cream for dessert, or the laughs she made when she watched stand-up comedy shows with Rina.

He could picture her brilliantly shining eyes at every single moment — saturated orange irises that sparkled whenever she was happy and amused. He liked to see them filled with the bright shimmer, and he knew that he would try to make her happy to the best of his ability so he could see that sparkle present always. For that smile, for that shine in her eyes, he'd do anything.

And yet, was that allowed, even?

The Mermaid Princesses were royals, the absolute authority of the oceans. He was an ancient guardian tasked by Aqua Regina to guard and protect them. Surely, he would be overstepping his boundaries like that? The Princesses were not supposed to love anyone outside of their kingdoms hierarchy — the devastating result of the late Orange Pearl Princess' heartbreak over a human man a disturbingly fresh reminder. Maybe it was not to be?

Hippo fidgeted with the hemline of his shirt, his mind still on the princess that had captivated his thoughts ever so thoroughly. No, he decided, he should keep his distance. It would certainly hurt, but at the very least, he would never have to hurt her, even at the cost of having thousands of knives digging into his heart, even at the cost of his own grief and heartbreak. Perhaps… perhaps it would be better that way, for the both of them.

"Hippo!"

She was calling him. The princess that had his heart in her hand.

The blond boy turned on his heels, feigning surprise and trying his best to quell the nervousness that was making him go weak in the knees. "A-ah, yes?" the hippocampus asked, cursing his stammer and hoping against hope that the young princess had missed his slight slip. "Did, uh, did you need me for something?" He smiled at her, silently admiring how the final rays of the evening sun seemed to set her vibrant hair ablaze.

"It's getting late," she told him, suddenly reaching over and taking one of his hands in her own. "Lucia told me to ask you to come inside. Nights are getting cold out this time of year, you know!?

Hippo used his other hand to anxiously scratch the back of his head in uncertainty. "I… uh, I'll be back inside in a while," he said with a slight smile, trying to hide the way he was slightly trembling in his anxiety. Butterflies were stirring in his stomach, the fluttering feeling making it hard to concentrate. "Promise," he added hastily, seeing that she didn't look convinced.

The princess paused, pondering over it for a while, then finally, she nodded. "Alright then," she said with a smile, "but just don't take too long to come back, alright?" Without waiting for an answer, she suddenly stopped closer and pecked him on the cheek, then with a giggle, she pulled away and ran back to the hotel, waving. "Come in soon!" she yelled.

Hippo's hand slowly reached up to touch his cheek as warmth flooded him. His face was already burning with a fiery blush, and his thoughts were running wild, suddenly incapable of processing a coherent thought.

Had she just… had she just kissed him?

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Perhaps there would be a chance yet.


	11. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaito's been working far too much, in Sara's opinion.

"You should get some sleep, Gaito."

The young man ignored her voice, focusing his attention on the maps he had spread out on his desk. If he could just draw their attention away, then the weakest segement of the walls around the Antarctic could be taken down with ease. Following that, all he would need to do would be to spend some time to locate the Antarctic Palace and the Purple Kingdom would be the next one to fall…

"Gaito…" Slender arms wrapped around his neck as the Orange Pearl Princess leaned her weight on the back of his chair. Well, if she wanted to get his attention, that was the right way to do it.

He tried to hold back his exasperation, even though he was always glad to see her after a long day and sleepless nights. "Just let me finish this, Sara," Gaito muttered, brow furrowing together as he set a placeholder figure onto the map to represent the kingdom's approxmiate location. The mermaid kingdoms were hidden away far too well.

The black-haired princess didn't sound too enthusiastic about having to wait for him as she gave him a none-too-gentle tug on the back of his coat, startling him. "You need your rest," she scolded, her frown so obvious it was audible in her tone. "And you know that you can't sleep without me with you. How long has it been since you've properly slept?"

He winced at the accusation and averted his gaze from the maps and her to stare off at a corner. He _hated_  when she brought that up; it was something he didn't like being bandied about. "Sara, I'm just about to finish," he insisted, purposefully avoiding the last question. "It will only be a few minutes more." Now where was he? As he reached out for another placeholder figure, she snatched his wrist, startling him.

"Gaito!" Sara snapped, her orange eyes narrowed at him as she entered his line of sight, huffing indignantly and bracing a hand on her hip. "That's enough work. You'll fall ill if you don't get enough rest." She didn't wait for him to respond and reached out to pull him from his seat, leading him towards the long velvet sofa that he slept on. "Come."

Gaito sighed, resigning himself to listening as he allowed himself to be led towards the sofa. None too gracefully, he sank onto the soft velvet of the furniture, silently appreciating it as Sara gracefully sat down beside him. "I really need to finish my work, Sara," he murmured to her, glancing at her through his peripheral vision, red eyes filled with something akin to indignation.

The princess shifted on the sofa to sit at the very end, beckoning to him to lie down and rest his head on her lap. She didn't seem to want to take no for an answer that night. "Your work can wait until tomorrow," Sara insisted, smoothing out the creases in her white dress. "Your well-being is more important than that." Despite her insistent tone, the well-meant intention behind her stubbornness was not missed.

"Very well, then." The silver-haired young man rolled his eyes with a sigh, lying back onto the soft velvet of the sofa. He exhaled softly at the gentleness of the material as his head touched the silk of her dress. The day's tension that flooded him slowly melted away as she stroked his hair, humming softly to him. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply.

Sara was always right. He really did need the sleep.

The orange princess hummed a soft lullaby as she ran her slender fingers through his silver hair, her eyes focused elsewhere as she settled into a comfortable position. It was a routine — though not a daily one — with them, whenever she felt he had been overworking hinself, which, all things considered, was rather often. Her gentle song was soft and welcoming as always, her soft voice lulling him towards sleep.

Gaito allowed himself to relax, lacing his fingers together as he rested. He glanced up at her through half-lidded eyes, catching sight of the faint smile that pulled at her lips, the serene expression on her face. He savoured moments like that, when the room was silent and it was late, with only the two of them. There was no need to speak as she sang him to sleep, nor even the need for eye contact.

At that moment, he was content.

As Sara continued to sing, Gaito felt himself drift further and further from consciousness, and finally, he fell asleep.

When he woke up in the morning, he would find that Sara too had fallen asleep, her hand in his hair and a smile on her lips.


End file.
